Endeavour: Difference between revisions

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{{a|plainenglish|}}{{quote|
{{a|plainenglish|}}{{quote|
“Give me credit,” I said, “I ''am'' trying”. <br>
“Now look,” said I, flapping my arms: “I ''am'' trying”. <br>
“Well”, she replied, “I’ll give you that. You ''are'' trying.”   
“Well, yes”, she replied, “I’ll give you that. You ''are'' trying.”  <br>
I smiled, flushing with unexpected compliment endorphins.<br>
I smiled, flushed with the endorphins of an unexpected compliment.<br>
“''Very'' trying.”}}
“''Very'' trying indeed.”<br>
“Oh, right.”}}


“[[Endeavour]]”  neatly illustrates the practical problem with plain English. It is a silly word: long; archaic; it conjures images of Captain Spaulding, in a pith helmet, slashing through jungle in the Congo on the hunt for Dr. Livingstone. Its alternative — “[[try]]” — is better in every way that a plain speaker cares about: shorter, more idiomatic, plainer, less fussy.  
“[[Endeavour]]”  neatly illustrates the practical problem with [[plain English]]. It is a silly word: long; archaic; it conjures images of Captain Spaulding, in a pith helmet, slashing through jungle on the hunt for a pajama-wearing elephant. Its alternative — “[[try]]” — is better in every way that a plain speaker cares about: shorter, more idiomatic, clearer, less ''fussy''.  


But there, Dr. Livingstone I presume, lies the problem: “[[try]]” slices cleanly through the semantic murk that “[[endeavour]]” so skillfully stirs up. It makes clear something the [[Mediocre you|draftsman]] rather hoped to obscure: namely, that this is a feeble covenant, not worth the paper it is written on.
But there lies the problem: “[[try]]” slices cleanly through the semantic murk that “[[endeavour]]” so skilfully stirs up. It makes clear something the [[legal eagle]] rather hoped to obscure: namely, that to promise to ''try'' to do something is a ''feeble'' [[covenant]], hardly worth the paper it is written on.


Consider these alternatives:
Consider:


:''“The vendor shall [[endeavour]] to notify the purchaser of its intention within a reasonable period, but shall not have any liability for failing to do so.”''
:''“The vendor shall [[endeavour]] to notify the purchaser of its intention within a reasonable period, but shall not have any liability for failing to do so.”''
Which sounds qualified — sure — but at least carrying some meat on its bones.  
Which sounds qualified — sure — but at least carrying some meat on its bones.  


But the plain English alternative reveals how thin that old hogget really is:
But the [[plain English]] alternative reveals how thin that old hogget really is:
:''“The vendor must [[try]] to tell the purchaser, but isn't responsible if it doesn’t.”''
:''“The vendor must [[try]] to tell the purchaser, but isn't responsible if it doesn’t.”''
{{sa}}
{{sa}}
*[[BAU]]
*[[BAU]]

Revision as of 12:47, 18 January 2022

Towards more picturesque speech


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“Now look,” said I, flapping my arms: “I am trying”.
“Well, yes”, she replied, “I’ll give you that. You are trying.”
I smiled, flushed with the endorphins of an unexpected compliment.
Very trying indeed.”
“Oh, right.”

Endeavour” neatly illustrates the practical problem with plain English. It is a silly word: long; archaic; it conjures images of Captain Spaulding, in a pith helmet, slashing through jungle on the hunt for a pajama-wearing elephant. Its alternative — “try” — is better in every way that a plain speaker cares about: shorter, more idiomatic, clearer, less fussy.

But there lies the problem: “try” slices cleanly through the semantic murk that “endeavour” so skilfully stirs up. It makes clear something the legal eagle rather hoped to obscure: namely, that to promise to try to do something is a feeble covenant, hardly worth the paper it is written on.

Consider:

“The vendor shall endeavour to notify the purchaser of its intention within a reasonable period, but shall not have any liability for failing to do so.”

Which sounds qualified — sure — but at least carrying some meat on its bones.

But the plain English alternative reveals how thin that old hogget really is:

“The vendor must try to tell the purchaser, but isn't responsible if it doesn’t.”

See also